Ancient Customs
by Moonstone 04
Summary: KOSMOS and chaos discuss the holidays... chaosKOSMOS


Ancient Customs 

by Moonstone 04

It was late, and the corridors of the Durandal were nearly deserted. chaos had spent the evening walking through the streets of the Kukai Foundation. Due to Jr's love of ancient holidays, it was one of the few places in the universe that still celebrated Christmas. The festive light displays alone made it a major tourist destination at that time of year.

chaos was headed back to the Elsa, when he spotted someone unexpected standing in a lonely side-corridor. It was KOS-MOS, staring through one of the larger windows. Glinting silver caught his eye, and he noticed a string of tinsel clutched in her hand. He approached her curiously.

"KOS-MOS? What are you doing?"

Glowing red eyes turned to look at him. "Good evening, chaos. I am decorating this window."

Sure enough, the window was framed with silver tinsel, and even a tiny string of rainbow-colored lights twinkling on and off. chaos looked from the window to KOS-MOS, with a small, amused smile. "It's very pretty, KOS-MOS, but why are you decorating? Does Shion know where you are?" He suspected the android was being disobedient again.

"Earlier this evening, Allen told me celebrating was part of being human. In order to better understand human behavior, I have been researching the Kukai Foundation's Christmas celebrations. Shion does not know of my whereabouts. I do not believe she would approve, therefore it is better she does not know."

chaos nodded silently. From past experience, he knew that Shion had little love for ancient customs.

"I have imitated the lights, but I still do not understand why humans celebrate." KOS-MOS was staring out the window again. Below them was two horizons, one filled with solemn stars against the velvet black of space, and one filled with the twinkling colored lights of the Foundation.

Standing beside her, chaos also looked down at the Foundation. "The lights are only an expression of their feelings. There was once a time when there were no lights and strings, when people would dance and sing under open skies. But their hearts were always the same." He looked at her with a twinge of sadness. As much as he wanted her to remember, he knew she would not.

At this, KOS-MOS turned her attention from the Foundation, and up towards the stars. "This has been a waste of time, for I am incapable of human emotion."

Without thinking, chaos took her hand. The tinsel fell away.

Neither of them said anything more as they stared out the window. For whatever reason, KOS-MOS did not move to leave, and the minutes continued to pass. At some point, chaos closed his eyes, wanting to shut everything out. "After all this time... You're right beside me again, but you can't hear me at all."

"I can hear you, chaos. My auditory sensors are functioning at 100 percent capability."

chaos smiled and opened his eyes to look at her. "I know... I'm sorry."

KOS-MOS looked at him blankly, then turned her gaze skyward again.

Once again, chaos closed his eyes. Even if she no longer knew him, he was glad to be in her presence again. Even if it could never be the same, her very existence was the meaning of completion to him. He was on the verge of slipping into a meditative state, when he felt something unexpected pull him back to reality. A warmth pressed to his lips.

His pulse jumped and he felt the heat rising beneath his skin. A rush of something deeply primordial that only she had ever been able to bring out in him. He was afraid to open his eyes and look at her. If he looked at her, the spell would be broken, and he wanted this one selfish moment, a memory of a dream.

It was less than a minute, but it had felt like a lifetime. Reluctantly, chaos opened his eyes as KOS-MOS pulled away. Without a word, she simply looked back at him with her usual blank expression.

chaos gave a nervous, breathless laugh. "What was that for?"

"I was engaging in the Christmas custom where it is required to kiss when you stand beneath a sprig of mistletoe. Did I perform it correctly?"

"Yes, but there's no mistletoe here..." He glanced above them.

"You said such objects were unnecessary, did you not?"

chaos nodded. "But...could you feel anything from that?"

"It is true I can not feel human emotion. However, if I have succeeded in evoking the correct feelings in you through my efforts, then perhaps it was not a complete waste of time after all."

Smiling warmly, chaos gently squeezed her hand in his. "You succeeded."

KOS-MOS looked sideways at him, and he thought he imagined a softer light in her eyes. "Thank you. I will compile this data for further analysis at a later time."

"I'll be thinking of you, too." chaos said very quietly with a smile as she began to walk away without speaking further.

He caught up with her, as they were both headed back to the Elsa. They said nothing further on their way to the dock, both naturally inclined towards silence. Even if KOS-MOS could order her thoughts away to another time, chaos was already lost in his own. For eternity, he could continue to deny his own happiness, but for just a heartbeat of universal time, a moment so small it might as well have not existed except for his own memory, he would treasure his greatest gift.


End file.
